For children with internal cleft palate, i.e. without cleft lip, special bottles with squeezable, one-way valves, “Y” shaped nipples and assisted spoons are used to help with breastfeeding. Children with cleft palate need to be fed with a special bottle because the congenital deformity makes it difficult to create negative pressure in the mouth and to suckle breast milk. Specialized bottles for children with cleft lip and palate are squeezable and designed with a one-way valve to assist in squeezing milk into the baby’s mouth and to prevent milk from flowing back due to insufficient pressure in the mouth. The nipples are also relatively large and designed with a “Y” shaped outlet to make sucking less difficult. Cleft palate is often caused by maternal injury during early pregnancy and abnormal embryonic development, and can be prevented by supplementing with folic acid during early pregnancy. If the fetus is diagnosed with cleft lip and palate after birth, it can be repaired surgically. Consult your physician for more information.